Structure of Liver

The liver is located in the upper right-hand portion of the abdominal cavity, beneath the diaphragm, and on top of the stomach, right kidney, and intestines.

Also Read: Small Intestine

• The liver consists of four lobes.
• Four lobes are :the larger right lobe and left lobe, and the smaller caudate lobe and quadrate lobe.
• The left and right lobe are divided by the falciform ligament, which connects the liver to the abdominal wall.
• The liver lobes can be further divided into eight segments, which are made up of thousands of lobules.
• Lobules is microscopic building blocks of the liver.
• Some of important parts of liver are Falciform Ligament, Glisson’s Capsule, Hepatic Portal Vein, Peritoneum, Common Hepatic Duct and Hepatic Artery.
• A layer of fibrous tissue called Glisson’s capsule covers the outside of the liver.
• Peritoneum is a membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity.

Liver is one of the largest glands found in vertebrates. Several functions are performed by the liver such as chemical production, Carbohydrate Metabolization, Storage of Vitamins and Minerals, Metabolization of Proteins, Filtering of Blood, and many Immunological Functions. In this article, we are going to learn about the position of liver inside human body, structure of liver, functions of liver, the chemicals produced by liver which help in digestion, and some diseases that affect liver.

Liver filters the blood of the whole body and removes toxic substances, chemicals, and bacteria from bloodstream. The liver performs several functions and it is not possible to mention all functions performed by it. More than 500 vital functions have been identified with the liver. Liver also helps in the extraction of energy, vitamins, and minerals. The liver removes excess glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream and stores it as glycogen. As needed, it can convert glycogen back into glucose.